P
US10554539B2ActiveUtilityPatentIndex 94

Communicating control information for independent links

Assignee: QUALCOMM INCPriority: Aug 22, 2016Filed: Jul 25, 2017Granted: Feb 4, 2020
Est. expiryAug 22, 2036(~10.1 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:LUO TAOMONTOJO JUANKADOUS TAMERLI JUNYIZHANG XIAOXIASUN JINGYOO TAESANGMALLIK SIDDHARTHA
H04W 24/10H04B 7/022H04B 7/216H04L 2001/0093H04W 52/56H04L 12/185H04W 52/241H03M 13/09H04L 5/003H04B 7/0691H04B 17/24H04W 72/044H04L 41/0668H04B 7/0626H04W 52/42H04W 52/243H04W 52/54H04W 24/08H04W 52/346H04W 52/16H04W 24/02H04W 24/04H04W 72/12H04W 76/19H04W 52/50H04W 52/386H04L 1/1854H04L 5/0053H04W 76/22H04L 12/1827H04L 45/16H04W 52/146H04L 5/0094H04W 92/20H04W 48/08H04W 72/52H04W 72/54H04W 72/53H04W 72/21H04W 72/20H04W 72/1252H04W 72/08H04W 72/1278H04B 17/318H04W 72/0413H04W 72/0493H04W 72/1284H04W 72/0406
94
PatentIndex Score
20
Cited by
68
References
55
Claims

Abstract

Various aspects of the disclosure relate to communicating control information for independent links. For example, control information for one link may be sent via at least one other link. In some aspects, the independent links may involve a first device (e.g., a user equipment) communicating via different independent links with different devices (e.g., transmit receive points (TRPs) or sets of TRPs). In some scenarios, one link may carry control information for multiple links. For example, one link may indicate the existence of or traffic on at least one other link. As another example, one link may transmit feedback for multiple links. In some scenarios, each link may be provisioned (e.g., as a primary link or a secondary link) to carry specific types of control information for one or more links.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of wireless communication by a user equipment, comprising:
 communicating data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicating control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicating other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second RF chain of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 communicating first transport blocks via the first beamformed communication link, 
 wherein the first transport blocks are processed independently of second transport blocks communicated via the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein error processing of the first transport blocks is independent of error processing of the second transport blocks. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein cyclic redundancy check (CRC) processing of the first transport blocks is independent of CRC processing of the second transport blocks. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the communication of the first transport blocks is via a first beam; and 
 the communication of the second transport blocks is via a second beam. 
 
     
     
       11. A method of wireless communication by a user equipment, comprising:
 communicating data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicating control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicating other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 communicating first transport blocks via the first beamformed communication link, 
 wherein the first transport blocks are processed independently of second transport blocks communicated via the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein error processing of the first transport blocks is independent of error processing of the second transport blocks. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 17 , wherein cyclic redundancy check (CRC) processing of the first transport blocks is independent of CRC processing of the second transport blocks. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the communication of the first transport blocks is via a first beam; and 
 the communication of the second transport blocks is via a second beam. 
 
     
     
       21. A user equipment, comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:
 communicate data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicate control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicate other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein:
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second RF chain of the user equipment. 
 
 
 
     
     
       22. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       23. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       24. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
 determine, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       25. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       26. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       27. The user equipment of  claim 21 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
 communicate first transport blocks via the first beamformed communication link, 
 wherein the first transport blocks are processed independently of second transport blocks communicated via the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       28. An user equipment for communication, comprising:
 means for communicating data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 means for communicating control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 means for communicating other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second RF chain of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       29. The user equipment of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 means for determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       30. The user equipment of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       31. The user equipment of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       32. The user equipment of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       33. The user equipment of  claim 28 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       34. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for a user equipment, including code to:
 communicate data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicate control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicate other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first radio frequency (RF) chain of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second RF chain of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       39. A user equipment, comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor and the memory are configured to:
 communicate data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicate control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicate other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein:
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the user equipment. 
 
 
 
     
     
       40. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       41. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       42. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
 determine, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       43. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       44. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       45. The user equipment of  claim 39 , wherein the processor and the memory are further configured to:
 communicate first transport blocks via the first beamformed communication link, 
 wherein the first transport blocks are processed independently of second transport blocks communicated via the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       46. An user equipment for communication, comprising:
 means for communicating data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 means for communicating control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 means for communicating other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       47. The user equipment of  claim 46 , further comprising:
 means for determining, based on at least one indication, whether to communicate control information for a group of independent links via the control channel of the first beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       48. The user equipment of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       49. The user equipment of  claim 46 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       50. The user equipment of  claim 46 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH). 
     
     
       51. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for a user equipment, including code to:
 communicate data via a first beamformed communication link; 
 communicate control information for a second beamformed communication link via a control channel of the first beamformed communication link; and 
 communicate other data via the second beamformed communication link; 
 wherein: 
 the communication via the first beamformed communication link uses a first antenna sub-array of the user equipment; and 
 the communication via the second beamformed communication link uses a second antenna sub-array of the user equipment. 
 
     
     
       52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 51 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link exists. 
 
     
     
       53. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 51 , wherein:
 the control information comprises an indication that the second beamformed communication link is active. 
 
     
     
       54. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 51 , wherein:
 the control information comprises hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) feedback for the second beamformed communication link. 
 
     
     
       55. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 51 , wherein the control channel comprises a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH).

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